What is Islam? Islam is an Abrahamic religion, as are Judaism and Christianity, with the second largest number of believers after Christianity. The word Islam generally means submission to God, or the complete surrender of people to God in all matters of life. A Muslim is a person who follows the Islamic way of life.

Hang on for a minute...we're trying to find some more stories you might like.

Email This Story

Send email to this addressEnter Your NameAdd a comment hereVerification

Our religion is Islam. We are Muslim and we want to show that we are not terrorists like some people think. This photo essay aims to educate about our religion and show who we really are.

What is Islam? Islam is an Abrahamic religion, as are Judaism and Christianity, with the second largest number of believers after Christianity. The word Islam generally means submission to God, or the complete surrender of people to God in all matters of life. A Muslim is a person who follows the Islamic way of life.

This child represents his religion Islam with the book he holds and the clothes he wears. A lot of Muslim people wear the same traditional clothing he wears. The garment is called a Thwab which is the Arabic word for “garment.”

This is a little carpet we use when we pray. We can’t pray without it. In addition, the Quran, also known as the Holy Quran, is present on the carpet. The Quran is the main book in Islam. Muslims believe that it carries the word of God as stated by Prophet Muhammad. We believe God’s miracles and statements are preserved in the heart of its lines.

This Muslim child prays to God. Sometimes, we pray to God when we have a wish and we want it to come true. There are also ritual prayers. Prayer is one of the best acts of worship that God loves. In Islam, it is not permissible to pray to any other gods.

In this photo, the child reads the Quran after prayer on Friday. Friday is a special day for Muslim people, because of its great religious significance. On Friday, a weekly mass prayer is held, called Friday Prayer, in which worshipers gather in mosques and pray together after listening to the Khutbah (Arabic for sermon) delivered by the Khateeb. The sermons and lessons increase the believer’s faith.

Here, the child prays on his prayer rug. Prayer is performed five times a day. Every Muslim has a duty to be a rational adult free of excuses, whether male or female. Prayer helps Muslims uphold this duty. In addition to daily prayers, ritual prayers are performed on various occasions such as Eid prayer, funeral prayer, prayer of asceticism and eclipse prayer. Prayer is the means of a servant worshipping his Lord, a connection between the servant and his Lord.

In this photo, a girl reads the Quran during the month of Ramadan. We pray a lot and read Quran because it gives life to our heart, lights our vision, and guides our way. Everything in the life of the Muslim is linked to this book, from which they derive their faith, know their worship and what pleases their Lord, and seek guidance in ethics.

These objects represent Ramadan. Ramadan is the holy month in which Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. It is a month of worship in order to be in closeness with God. Ramadan lasts for 29 or 30 days, depending on the crescent moon. During Ramadan, we pray a lot and read Quran. After Ramadan, we have a celebration which is called Eid.